Many people assume summer should be a season of better sleep — warmer evenings, no school, vacation time. In practice, sleep clinics see a noticeable uptick in summer insomnia complaints. The reasons are biological, behavioral, and environmental. Long evenings delay the body’s release of melatonin, warm bedrooms interfere with the nightly drop in core body temperature that initiates sleep, and looser summer schedules erode the consistency that keeps circadian rhythms aligned.

This week’s column looks at why summer can be quietly hard on sleep, what the research says about light, heat, and schedule, and what to do if you find yourself wide awake at midnight while the sky is still glowing.

Q: Why does it feel harder to fall asleep in summer even when I’m tired?

A: Sleep onset is regulated by two interacting systems: a homeostatic drive that builds across the day and a circadian system that times when sleep should happen. The circadian system is exquisitely sensitive to light. When you receive bright light at 9 or 10 p.m. in the evening, the brain delays its release of melatonin, pushing your biological “bedtime” later regardless of how tired you feel. Tiredness and sleepiness are not the same thing.

Q: Should I use blackout curtains?

A: For most adults with summer sleep problems, yes. The goal is not total cave-like darkness but elimination of the light dose that suppresses melatonin in the bedroom. Even modest evening and morning light through a window can shift the rhythm. If full blackout feels disorienting, consider blackout curtains plus a sunrise alarm clock that brings light back in at a chosen time.

Q: Is the heat really a problem, or am I imagining it?

A: It is a real problem. Sleep onset depends on a small but reliable drop in core body temperature, and a hot bedroom blocks this. Research generally points to a bedroom temperature around 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit as optimal for most adults. Fans, lighter bedding, and a cool shower before bed help. Sleeping with windows open in Utah summers often traps warm air; air conditioning, where available, usually wins on sleep quality.

Q: My kids are wrecking my sleep schedule because there’s no school. What do I do?

A: Protect a consistent wake time even if bedtime drifts later. Wake time is the single most powerful anchor for the circadian system; bedtime tends to follow. A summer schedule that lets bedtime slide by an hour but holds wake time within thirty minutes will preserve most of the rhythm. A schedule in which both float freely produces the chronically tired, irritable child many parents recognize by August.

Q: Is melatonin a good idea in the summer?

A: For circadian adjustment — not for sedation — low-dose melatonin (often 0.3 to 1 milligram) taken several hours before desired sleep can help reset a delayed rhythm. The high-dose drugstore melatonin (5 to 10 milligrams) is generally not necessary and can produce next-day grogginess. Melatonin is not regulated as a medication in the United States, which means quality varies significantly by brand. Talk to a clinician before starting it long term, particularly for children.

Q: I’m drinking more on summer evenings. Could that be affecting my sleep?

A: Almost certainly. Alcohol shortens sleep latency in the short term but disrupts the architecture of sleep, suppressing REM sleep and increasing nighttime awakenings, particularly in the second half of the night. Many people experience the classic pattern of falling asleep quickly after drinks and then waking at three in the morning unable to return to sleep. Two to three drinks is enough to produce this pattern in most adults.

Q: My phone is the problem, isn’t it?

A: It is part of the problem, but not for the reason most people think. The blue light effect on melatonin, while real, is modest at typical phone distances. The bigger issue is content — social media, news, and email keep the brain in a vigilant, problem-solving mode that is fundamentally incompatible with the slowing required for sleep onset. A book or a podcast in a dim room beats a phone, even with night mode enabled.

Q: I’m exhausted but my mind races the moment I lie down. What’s that about?

A: This pattern is called sleep-onset insomnia, and it usually reflects a conditioned association between the bed and wakefulness rather than ongoing exhaustion. The behavioral fix is counterintuitive: do not go to bed until you are sleepy, not just tired, and if you cannot fall asleep within about 20 minutes, get up and do something quiet in dim light until sleepiness returns. This approach, called stimulus control, is a core component of cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia.

Q: When does insomnia become a clinical problem rather than just a bad week?

A: The standard threshold is difficulty falling or staying asleep at least three nights per week for at least three months, with daytime consequences such as fatigue, mood disturbance, or impaired functioning. Below that threshold, sleep hygiene adjustments are usually sufficient. Above it, the most effective intervention is cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia, which outperforms medication in long-term outcomes.

Conclusion

Sleep is not a luxury that adjusts itself around our schedules; it is a biological process governed by light, temperature, and routine. The summer solstice is a useful reminder that even something as basic as sleep is contextual and seasonal.

The good news is that summer insomnia is among the more responsive sleep problems. Most people who address light exposure, bedroom temperature, and wake-time consistency see improvement within two to three weeks. For those whose sleep problems persist, structured evaluation and treatment work well.

The longest day of the year does not have to mean the shortest night of sleep.

For those experiencing chronic insomnia, daytime fatigue, or mood changes connected to disrupted sleep, professional evaluation can identify underlying contributors and direct effective treatment. Comprehensive Psychological Services (WeCanHelpOut.com) offers psychological evaluation and evidence-based treatment for insomnia and related sleep concerns.